Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
` lZ9Z637
SATO-l90
DFSE-TOp T~RMAL-pRINTER
BA~EG~O~p OF THE INv~NTI~N
This invention relates to a desk-top thermal
printer for printing labels and particularly to such
printer which includes the means for selectively remov-
ing printed labels from their backing sheet or leaving
them on the backing sheet.
In rece~t years, the use of thermal printers
has become widespread and many different applications
have been found for them. In one application the ther-
mal printer is used for printing bar codes and charac-
ters on labels which labels are used in various ways
for data processing and system administration.
Depending on the particular applicatio~ and
the type of processing system employed, the printed
labels are either peeled off one by one from their
backing sheet or in other cases a continuous strip con-
taining a predetermined number of labels still on the
backing sheet is to be supplied. To date, however,
there has not been available a thermal printer which
can be used to satisfy either need. Therefore, it has
been necessary to stock two different types of thermal
prlnters, one for the first type of operation and one
for the second. This is disadvantageous from equipment
cost and operational efficiency perspectives.
~k
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide
a handy desk-top thermal printer for individual use which is
freely portable and easily locatable on any available surface.
Further, the present invention seeks to provide such
a desk-top thermal printer which is capable of both a first mode
of operation wherein the printer supplies peeled printed labels
ready to be affixed to objects and a second mode of operation
where the printed labels, still attached to their backing sheet,
are supplied from the printer.
The invention in one broad aspect pertains to a desk-
top thermal printer for printing labels, including a housing
having outer dimensions which are small enough to provide such
printer which is transportable and operable by a single operator,
the housing having a flat bottom surface for supporting the
printer on a selected flat surface. Retaining means support a
labels strip which includes an elongate continuous backing
sheet and a plurality of discreet unprinted labels which are
detachably attached to the backing sheet and which follow one
another along the length of the backing sheet. A thermal printer
head is provided for printing information on the labels and there
is a defined guiding path in the housing for the backing sheet.
A label detector is positioned ahead of the printer head for
detecting each approaching label, and means are provided for
transporting the labels strip through the printer head, the
transporting means including a stepping motor, a sheet drive
roller driven by the stepping motor, and a slip mechanism coupled
to the stepping motor for driving the sheet drive roller. A
platen roller is juxtaposed to the print head and is drivingly
coupled to the stepping motor and a drive switching mechanism
provides for making and breaking a coupling connection between
the platen roller and the stepping motor. Peeling means is
located past the printer head for separating each label from
the backing sheet after the passage thereof through the printer
head and for depositing each printed label outside the housing
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when the backing sheet moves along the entirety of the defined
guiding path. Control means ls provided for actuating, control-
ling and coordinating the operation of at least the printer head,
label detector, transporting means, sheet drive roller and
stepping motor, and at least one start switch is coupled to the
control means, the control means including means for advancing
the labels, one label at a time, in response to each activation
of the start switch and an output from the label detector. The
defined guiding path in the housing for the backing sheet changes
its direction of travel sharply after passing the thermal printing
head and the peeling means further comprises a sheet bending pin
located at the point of change in direction, the sheet drive roller
being driven by the stepping motor faster than the platen roller
in a manner which is effective to assure that no slack develops
in the backing sheet between the thermal printer head and the
sheet drive roller whereby the labels may be separated from the
backing sheet in a reliable manner.
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~.Z5~2637
The desk-top thermal printer according to the
present invention is small in size and easily carried
from place to place. It can be used for printing
labels while being located on any available flat sur-
face. It can print and feed the labels in eitherpeeled or unpeeled form, making it usable as a wide
range output device applicable in various fields.
BRI~F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment
of the desk-top thermal printer according to the pres-
ent invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the embod-
iment of Fig. l.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a segment of
the label strip.
Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of an impor-
tant part of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l and
2.
DRTAILED DES~RIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figs. l to 4, the desk-top ther-
mal printer l comprises a main unit 2 having a horizon-
tal top surface 3, a bottom surface 4, an inclined top
surface 5, a front surface 6 and left and right side
surfaces 7. Eorizontal top surface 3 is provided with
a keyboard 8 having a number of keys for data entry,
while a portion of inclined top surface 5 located adja-
cent to horizontal top surface 3 is provided with a
display 9, on which useful data is displayed. A pair
of start buttons lO (one is shown), one on each of the
26~7
side surfaces 7, are provided at positions below hori-
zontal top surface 3 and an open/close button 11 is
positioned on one of side surfaces 7 at the upper por-
tion thereof. Front surface 6 includes a cover 12 for
enclosing an opening into a compartment for battery 3a
and furthermore defines an outlet 13 through which a-
bac~ing sheet S passes out of main unit 2. A cutter 14
is positioned at the upper edge of outlet 13.
As can be seen from Fig. 2, which illustrates
the internal structure of thermal printer l, a retain-
ing member 15 for retaining a roll R of label strip T
is positioned below inclined top surface S. Label
strip T passes from roll R into a label strip guide
path or passage 17, and is guided by guide roller 16.
As shown in Fig. 3, label strip T consists OI a backing
sheet S on which are located a plurality of thermosen-
sitive labels L. Each of the labels L has an adhesive
back surface by which it is detachably adhered to label
strip S. The labels follow one another along the
length of the backing sheet.
Label strip T passes over a guide roller la,
then passes a label sensor 19 and thereafter is engaged
between a thermal printing head 20 and a platen roller
21. At the thermal prlnting head 20 the label L is
printed with characters, marks or the like which, de-
pending on the data input from keyboard 8, may form a
bar code B as shown in Fig. 3. Thermal printing head
20 is pivotably supported on pin 22 and it is so ar-
ranged that the pressure of the head can be adjusted by
means of spring 23 and screw 24.
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In one mode of operation, after printing of a
label L is completed, the path of backing sheet S bends
sharply at sheet bending pin 25. The sharp bending
causes label L to be peeled from backing sheet S by a
combination of this sharp bending action assisted by
the action of an auxiliary peeling roller 26. The
peeled label L is then fed out of main unit 2 and comes
to rest on a label receiving cushion 27. Backing sheet
S proceeds over guide roller 28 and is engaged b~ sheet
drive roller 29 by which it is discharged outside of
main unit 2 through outlet 13. The length of backing
sheet S that has passed out of main unit 2 can be con-
veniently cut off by cutter 14.
When a new roll R of label strip T is to be
loaded in ~ain unit 2, button 11 is operated to allow,a
portion which includes platen roller 21 to swing up-
wardly about a pin 50, making it possible to insert a
new roll R.
as shown in Fig. _, platen roller 21 is
linked with stepping motor 31 through plunger gear 60,
an idle gear 61, an idle pulley 62, timing belt 63 and
driving pulley 64, while sheet drive roller 29 is
linked with stepping motor 31 through a shaft 65, gear
66, slip mechanism 67 and timing belt 32. Stepped ro-
tation of stepping motor Sl, in response to drivingpulses, is transmitted to platen roller 21 and sheet
drive roller 29, causing them to rotate as indicated by
the arrow in Fig. 2.
Control circuit 33 is located inside main
unit 2, at a position beneath keyboard 8. Control cir-
cuit 33 is electrically connected by means not illus-
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trated in the figures to label sensor 19, thermal
printing head 20, stepping motor 31, keyboard 8, dis-
play 9, start buttons 10 and battery 34 which is housed
in a compartment located under control circuit 33.
The horizontal top surface 3 of main unit 2
is provided with a key.guard 55, and bottom surface 4
includes two pairs of legs 36 (only one pair shown) for
supporting thermal printer l on any available flat sur-
face D. As shown in Fig. l, side surfaces 7 are re-
10 spectively provided with recessed pprtions 37 {only one
shown) for making it easier to hold the thermal printer
l in one hand while operating the keys of the keyboard
8 with the other. Further, as shown in Fig. 3, the
bac~ing sheet S of the label strip T is provided with
cuts C for engagement by sheet drive roller 29.
The operation of the thermal printer will now
be egplained~ Printer 1 can be placed on any flat sur-
face D during operation. It can be easily transported
by hand from one location to another, enabling the
printing of labels at any convenient place.
When the thermal printer l is operated in a
first mode during which the labels are separated from
the backing sheet S one at a time, backing sheet S
alone is sharply bent and redirected at sheet bending
pin 25, thus causing the labels L to peel off backing
sheet S.
In this mode of operation, when roll R con-
taining label strip T is loaded into thermal printer l,
label backing sheet S is inserted between guide roller
28 and sheet drive roller 29. Thus, any slack of back-
ing sheet S between sheet bending pin 25 and sheet
63i'
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drive roller 29 is taken up by rotation of sheet drive
roller 29. Since gear 66 associated with sheet drive
roller 29 is provided with slip mechanism 67, backing
sheet S is thereafter fed toward outlet 13 by slipping
rotation of sheet drive roller 29.
It is to be noted that the mechanism which
includes sheet drive roller 29 and its slip mechanism
67 and the manner in which these elements are connected
to stepping motor 31 are such that the drive roller 29
feeds the backing sheet faster than the speed with which
platen roller 21 would feed the label strip. Therefore,
when the label strip is initially loaded into the device,
for the mode whereby the labels are separated from the
backing sheet, the leading end of the backing sheet is
fed faster than the trailing end thereof and any slack
in the ribbon is taken up due to this effect. In operation
the label strip is pinched between the thermal printing head
20 and the platen roller 21. Consequently, the faster
moving sheet drive roller 29 and the slip mechanism 67
assure that the section of the backing sheet between
drive roller 29 and the printing head is taut. This assures
that separation of the labels from the backing sheet will
take place in a very reliable manner. As previously noted
the feeding of the backing sheet via the sheet drive roller
29 is optional. Hence, the desk-top thermal printer
according to the present invention enables ready switching
from a label separating mode to a label non-separating
mode and vice versa.
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To operate the printer, the operator presses
the keys of keyboard 8 to input the desired data. The
data appears on display 9 and its accuracy can there-
fore be easily verified. Next, one of start buttons 10
is depressed causing stepping motor 31 to rotate sheet
drive roller 29 to advance label strip T, by one label.
At the same time thermal printing head 20 prints one of
labels L with a bar code B or any other desired pattern
or characters.
After the printin~ operation, backing sheet S
which bears the printed label L is bent around sheet
bending pin 25 causing label L to be peeled off backing
sheet S and to be deposited onto label receiving cush-
ion 27. The operator can then remove the peeled-off
label L from main unit 2 with his fingers and affix it
on an ob~ect (not shown) for example, a merchandise
item or a parcel to be delivered or the like. The
printed label can be used for data administration.
Alternatively, the object receiving the label may be
drawn across the top of the thermal printer in the
direction indicated by arrow A whereupon label L will
be directly affixed thereupon.
When thermal printer 1 is to be operated in
the second mode in which the labels are not separated
from backing sheet S and are instead fed out from in-
clined top surface 5 on backing sheet S, it ls suffi-
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cient to thread label strip T so that backing sheet S
is not bent back by sheet bending pin. Instead it is
drawn together with labels L in the direction of label
receiving cushion 27. In this case, label strip T re-
5 tained between platen roller 21 and thermal printinghead 20 is pulled by rotation transmitted to platen
roller 21 by stepping motor 31.
Thermal printer 1, rather than being placed
on the flat surface D, can also be operated while being
10 held by hand. In this case, the operator grasps the
thermal printer at recessed portions 37 with, for exam-
ple, his or her left hand and operates the keys of key-
board 8 with his or her right hand.
For stability on a flat surface, legs 36 lo-
15 cated under,the printer can have suctions cups or thellke.
Although the invention has been described to
include a keyboard for data input, other arrangements
are also possible. For example, as shown by a phantom
20 line in Fig. 2, it is possible to provide an input ter-
minal 42 which is connected to control circuit 33. In-
put terminal 42 will receive dàta directly from a mas-
ter device or a central computer and direct it to con-
trol circuit 33, whereby thermal printer 1 can be a
25 co~puter-controlled device. Alternatively, a reader,
e.g., a pen reader, can be connected to input terminal
42 and data may be obtained by reading OCR characters,
bar codes or the like and then input to control circuit
33. Moreover, control circuit 33 may comprise a RO~
30 (read only memory) in which a control program and/or
various data are stored. In this case, the control
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program and data can be easily changed by simple ROM
replacement.
Although in the above embodiment stepping
motor 51 and sheet drive roller 29 comprise two dis-
5 tinct components, it is alternatively possible to in-
corporate stepping motor 31 into sheet drive roller 29
and to drive platen roller 21 from roller 29 via timing
belt 63 or the like. In this case, it is necessary to
couple slip mechanism 67 to platen roller 21 instead of
10 sheet drive roller 29, or to provide a drive switching
mechanism such as a change-over lever for making and
breaking the connection between the power source and
platen roller 21. In the latter case, label strip T is
first moved out by platen roller 21 and then, while
15 platen roller 21 is disconnected from the power source
by means of the drive switchiug mechanism, backing
sheet S is conveyed by sheet drive roller 29. Neæt,
after the slack in backing sheet S has been taken up,
platen roller 21 is again connected to the drive
20 source-
Although the present invention was describedin connection with.preferred embodiments thereof, many
other variations, modifications and uses will now be-
come apparent to those skilled in the art. It is
25 therefore preferred that the present invention be limi-
ted not by the specific embodiments disclosed herein
but only by the appended claims.
